Web accelerating mechanism



Sept. 25, 1945. 1. TORNBERG I WEB ACCELERATING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m: ATTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1945. TORNBERG 2,385,659

WEB ACCELERATING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR T a BY H ATTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1945. l. TORNBERG WEB ACCELEHATING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 MN hm NEY5 INVENTOR M 7 'mA'rToR 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 25, 1945. 1. TORNBERG WEB ACCELERATING MECHANISM Filed April 26, 194:5

P 1945' TORNBERG WEB ACCELERATING MECHANISM 5 SheeEs-Sheet 5 Filed April 26, 1943 INVENTCR M T BY Pllvwa}, Y M

lls ATTO R N EYS Patented Sept. 25, 1945 2,385,659 WEBACGELERATING MECHANISM ,Jsldor Tornberg, Plainiield, N. J., assignor to Wood Newspaper Plainileld, N. 1., a co Machinery Corporation, rporatlon of Virginia Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,635

(Cl. 279l1) 14 Claims.

This invention relates to Web feeding mechanism for printing presses and more particularly concerns improved mechanism for feeding sections cut from a web moving at a low speed to one or more webs traveling at a higher speed.

The majority of rotary newspaper printing presses are built to accommodate four type plates across and two type plates around each type cylinder. Thus one plate covers approximately onei'ourth the axial length of each cylinder and onehalf its peripheral surface. In printing newspapers with a press having a given number of cylinders, products can be printed up to a maximum number of pages equal to the number of plates the cylinders are capable of carrying. However, ii these products are printed on what is called a straight run, the number of pages of the product is only one-half of the total page capacity or the press, since plates on diametrically opposite sides of each cylinder are identical. This means that a product is delivered for each onehali' revolution of the printing cylinders. On such a run it is possible to vary the size of the product in jumps two pages each by increasing or decreasing the width of the web running through the press in one-page width jumps. When it is desirable to obtain a larger product, it is necessary to do what is known as collect." This means that a first section of the product is carried around the cutting cylinder of the folding mechanism and associated with a second section of the product, the two sections being folded and delivered together in a well known manner. In a collect operation, plates on diametrically opposed sides of the printing cylinders are different. With a "collect" run. the size 01 the product must be varied in lumps of four pages each. Since the size of the product may vary from day to day. the necessity for changing the product size in four-page jumps is quite a serious handicap, particularly in small printing plants such as are employed to print small town newspapers.

In general, this invention relates to mechanism which will permit the increase or a product in two-page jumps when the press is making a "collect" run. This is accomplished by printing an extra web traveling at one-hall the speed 01' the regular web or webs, cutting sheets from the extra web. accelerating such sheets to full web speed and consolidating such sheets with alternate sections of the product formed from the other webs. Thus, for example, the extra web may be printed in a two-page wide printing couple driven at half speed with respect to one or more main printing couples. A one-page wide web serves this supplementary couple, and after being printed on one side, the web is turned, run through the same couple and printed on the other side. Ii the main printing unit comprises two couples with each plate cylinder tour plates wide, this would under ordinary circumstances provide papers of two, four, six and eight pages of straight" runs, and products of eight, twelve and sixteen pages on "collect runs. By introducing sheets cut irom the half speed web printed on the supplemental couple, the "collect runs can be increased in twopage rather than four-page lumps. Also, by mechanism provided to permit operation of the supplemental couple at full speed as well as at half speed, the "straight" runs could also produce a ten-page product and the "collect" runs could also produce a twenty-page product.

Attempts have been made in the past to accomplish the desired result of a collect" run with one section containing two more pages than the other, but none has been successful. due to the failure of the web sheet associating mechanism to positively place the odd sheet, in proper position relative to the full speed webs. One procedure previously attempted has been to partially cut the sheets from the half-speed web and lead each such sheet between two full speed webs where it would be gripped between such webs. thereby breaking the sheet free and bringing it to full speed. Variations in the strength 01' the ties holding the odd sheet to its web cause it to be set askew to one side or the other, or delay its coming up to full speed. so that the proposed procedure was unsuccessful.

According to the present invention, the odd sheet is completely cut from the half speed web and positively accelerated to full web speed, and it is so placed with respect to the other webs that mis-register cannot occur.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which an embodiment thereof has been illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a rotary printing press constructed and arranged to embody the invention, this elevation being taken along the line l--i of Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the press shown in Fi Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the press;

Fig. 4 is an elevation on an enlarged scale oi the web sheet cutting. accelerating. and combining mechanism of the press illustrated;

Fig. is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. '1 is a plan view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. l and showing the variable speed drive mechanism for the supplemental couple of the press.

My invention is applicable to any operation wherein it is desired to accelerate sheets or sections of web and consolidate them successively with a web or webs traveling at a higher speed. Since the invention is particularly applicable to rotary printing presses for the purposes described above, I have illustrated the invention in connection with a typical embodiment in which the webs are supplied by a rotary newspaper printing press. Obviously, the web sheet cutting, accelerating, and consolidating mechanism of the invention could be employed in connection with webs supplied from other sources.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. l, the side frames l and 2 rotatably mount printing cylinders 3 and 4, which cooperate respectively with impression cylinders 5 and 3 and constitute two couples comprising the main printing elements of the press unit. Ink rollers 1 and 1 diagrammatically represent inking mechanism for supplying ink to the plate cylinders 3 and 4, respectively. Since the inking mechanism is of a known type, it is not necessary to show or describe it in detail. The main printing. couples may be driven by a motor I2 connected through a chain II) to a sprocket 3 on the shaft of the impression .cyllnder 5 (Figs. 2 and 3). In accordance with usual practice, suitable gearing indicated at H in Fig. 3 is provided to drive the impression cylinder 3 from the impression cylinder 5 and to drive the printing cylinders 3 and 4,1'rom the respective impression cylinders I and 3.

Mounted beside the main printing unit is a two-plate wide supplemental printing couple,the principal parts of which are an impression cylinder 2|, a plate cylinder 22 and an inking mechanlsm 23. The cylinders 21 and 22 are rotatably mounted in frames 24 and 25 (Fig. 2), and are geared together by the gears 23 and 21. The supplemental couple may be driven'either at half the speed of the main printing unit or at the full speed of such unit. This is accomplished by suitable variable speed gear changing mechanism, best shown in Fig. '1. A bevel gear 23 is secured to the end of the impression cylinder 5 and meshes with a bevel gear 23, carried on a shaft 33 which is rotatably mounted in the brackets 3| and 32 secured to the frame 23 of the supplemental couple and the frame 2 of the main unit. A duplex gear 34, having a halt speed portion 35 and a full speed portion 33 is secured to the shaft 33. Rotatably mounted in the brackets II and 32 is a jack shaft 31 which has splined thereon a. gear changing element 33 whose teeth 33 mesh with the teeth of the duplex gear 34 in the position shown to drive the supplemental couple at half speed. If it is desired to run the supplemental couple at full speed, the lever 43 is moved to the left, and through the trunnion 4| moves the gear changing element 33 to the right so that the gear teeth 42 mesh with the gear teeth 33 to change the speed 01 the supplemental couple to that of the main unit. The collar 43 limits the motion of the element 33 to the right, and when the full speed gearing is connected. the half speed gearing is disconnected. A bevel gear -web to serve the supplemental couple.

44 secured to the jack shaft 31 meshes with a bevel gear 43 connected to the impression cylinder 2|, thereby completing the drive from the main unit to the supplemental couple.

The other end 01 the impression cylinder 3 drives the folding mechanism through a drive connection 43 (Fig. 3). The folding mechanism is of known construction and includes a folding cylinder 43 cooperating with the usual cutting cylinder to sever and fold the finished product. Folding rollers 5| place the folded product in fan buckets 53 from which they are delivered on a delivery belt 34 in a manner well known in this art.

With the arrangement shown in the illustrated embodiment, it is generally desirable to use two half-width webs, that is, two two-page wide webs, to serve the main unit, and a single one-page wide The web W from the roll 33 passes over a spring roller 33, idler rollers 31, 33, 33 and 13, enters the main unit between the impression cylinder 5 and the plate cylinder 3 where it is printed on one side, passes over the idler roller 53 and between the impression cylinder 6 and plate cylinder 4 where it is printed on the other side and comes out over the idler roller 1|. From the idler roller 1| the web W is carried over the turning bar 12, the idler rollers 13 and 14 (Fig. 3), the compensator roller 13 and the idler roller 16 to the drag roller 11, where it is consolidated with the other web Wl and passes down the former 13 to the folding mechanism. In a similar manner, the web W| from the roll 55, running beside the web W, is led around a spring roller 13, idler rollers 30, 33 and 13, through the main unit where it is printed on both sides and up to the idler roller 3|, where it goes to the turning bar 32, over the idler roller 33, the compensator roller 34, and the idler roller 35 to the drag roller 11.

The web W-2 from the roll 31 is handled in a similar manner, running over the spring roller 13a (Fig. 3) in line with the spring roller 13, the idler roller 33, then over the rollers 33, 31 and 31a where it goes through the printing couple 2 |-22. The web W-2 is then taken over the roller 33, the turning bars 33 and 33 which turn the web over, the idler roller 3|, and back over the roller 31a and through the couple 2 l-22 where it is printed on the opposite side by a plate alongside of the plate which first printed the web W-2. The web W-2 then passes over a roller 32 and a turning bar 33, a roller 34 and'a compensator roller 33 to a cutting couple 33-31, where half speed sheets are completely out from the web and carried by a sheet accelerating mechanism to be described to the drag roller 11.

The half speed sheet accelerating mechanism is used when it is desired to make one section of the paper one sheet or two pages larger than the other section, thus increasing the size of the product to that extent. For this purpose the supplemental couple ls run at half speed, which means that the web W-2, before it reaches the cutting couple 33-31, runs at half the speed or the webs W and W-l. Reterring particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a knife 33 is'provided in the cutting cylinder 31, cooperating with the backing-up roller 33, which may be made of a material such as hard rubber. The knife 33 severs the web W-2 into sheets. A cheekwood, backed up by springs in the cutting cylinder 31, may be provided to push the severed sheets 01! the knife 33 in a well known manner.

The shaft of the cutting cylinder 31 carries two sets of double sprockets I31 and I32 rotatably mounted thereon at the opposite ends of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. I5. Duplex chains I and I respectively run over the sprockets I0: and I02. The chain I00 travels along a curved guide I01 and over a double sprocket I00 fixed to a stripping cylinder I00. The chain I04 is similarly arranged to travel parallel to the chain I03 over the curved guide 00 and a double sprocket 6i fixed to the other end of the stripping cylinder I00. The guides I01 and 00 have a varying radius of curvature that decreases from a maximum at the ends thereof where the chains first contact the guides to a minimum where the guides terminate adjacent the sprockets Ill and 0|.

The drag roller I1 is driven from a Jack shaft I00 by bevel gears I00 and H0, the drivin power being supplied through a gear or sprocket III connected by suitable driving connections to the main unit drive. A gear I I2 secured to the drag roller 11 meshes with a gear Ill secured to the cylinder I00. Thus the double chains I03 and I00 are driven by the double sprockets I00 and H, pass beneath and along the under surfaces 01 the guides I01 and 00, and around the freely rotatable sprockets Ill and I02 on the cutting cylinder shaft, the direction of movement of the chains being indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. The drive connection for the chains I00 and I00 is such that. they move at a speed equal to half the speed of the webs W and W-I. The cutting cylinder 01 is driven from the jack shaft I00 through the bevel gears 02 and 00 at a speed such that its peripheral velocity equals the speed of the web W2. The backing-up roller 00 is driven from the cutting cylinder 01 at the same peripheral velocity through a suitable gear connection, not shown.

The chains I00 and I00 have suitable paper carrying pins I I0 and I I1 rigidly mounted thereon. As best shown in Fig. 6, these pins are rigidly fixed to the chains and extend inwardly therefrom to positions inside the edges of the paper sheet and then downwardly so as to pierce the sheet near its marginal edges. In the illustrated embodiment, there are four pins disposed at equally spaced points on each double chain.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cutting couple 0091 is severing a sheet from the half speed web W2, and the front edge of this sheet is pierced by a pin IIB-B, it being understood that a similar pin Ill-B on the other chain, I04 simultaneously pierces the opposite edge of the sheet. The pins Ill-B and 1-3 extend into the grooves 00 in the backing-up cylinder 06 as they pierce the web, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

A lower guide pan I I0 is provided for supporting the severed sheets after they have been cut and are progressing forward, and as best shown in Fig. 4 this pan continues around parallel and close to the guides I01 and 00 to a point adjacent the center line between the stripping cylinder I00 and the drag roller 11. The sheets are held against the guide pan II8 by upper guides 58, 00 and 00, which are spaced laterally across the sheet, as shown in Figs. and 6. The guides 50, 50 and 05 extend respectively in grooves I30, I3I and I32 in the cylindrical surface of the stripping cylinder 106, leave this cylinder at its point of tangency with the drag roller 11 and continue parallel to the drag roller surface to a point close to that at which the web WI contacts the drag roller, as shown in Fig. 4.

From the position of the pin II6-B to that of the pin IIS-A, the severed sheet travels in a straight line. As the chains I00 and I00 begin to travel around the guides Ill and 00, the outer ends 01' the pins where they engage the sheet are accelerated due to the shortening radius of curvature of the path of the chains as determined by the guides, so that when the leading and of the sheet reaches the center line between the cylinder I06 and the drag roller II, where the path of the chains is circular and has a radius Just half that of the sheet carrying D rt oi the pins, the sheet is traveling at twice the speed at which it was cut from the web W2, or exactly full web speed. This is due to the fact that the pitch radius of the chain sprockets I00 and 0| is exactly half the radius of the path 0! travel 0! the point on the pins that engage the sheet, that is, half the radius of the stripping cylinder I00. The pins H0 and Ill enter slots I00 and 0 respectively in the drag roller l1 and punch through the web W which comes up irom below as shown in Fig. 4. Suitable tapes H0 and I20, running around a portion of the stripping cylinder I06 and over suitable pulleys I2I serve to strip the several sheet oi! the pins III and Ill and carry it around on the surface oi the drag roller I1. These tapes as well as the guides 00, 00 and 05 press the severed sheet against the web W and place it between the webs W and WI as the three webs go over the drag roller H.

In order to positively paste in the odd sheet, a pasting arrangement may be employed including a glue fountain I22 (Fig. 3) carrying a roller I20 driven from the drag roller 11 by a suitable chain 120. The roller I23 applies glue or other suitable adhesive to the edge of a disc I20 which is driven by suitable means at such a speed that its peripheral velocity equals the speed of the web W. The disc I20 is cut away at I21 so that it places adhesive on the web W in such a. manner that alternate sections of this web will carry a line of glue adjacent one edge thereof, whil the intermediate sections will not. The adhesive applying mechanism drive ls so timed that adhesive is applied to the web W on those portions thereof which register with the severed sheets cut from the half speed web W-2, but is not supplied to the other sections of the web W.

In operation, the cutting couple 00-01 cuts successive sheets from the half sped web W2 and th chain and pin mechanism accelerates these sheets successively to full web speed. The linear speed of the chains I00 and I00 is the same as that of the half speed web W2 and is thus also equal to the peripheral velocity of the cutting cylinder 01. Each accelerated sheet is separated from the following sheet by an interval equal to the sheet length. Each sheet reaches full web speed when its leading edge advances to the center line between the cylinder I00 and the roller H. and at this point it may be pasted along one edge to the full speed web W it desired. The web W-I is then applied over the webs W and W2 and the superimposed webs travel over the former I0 to the folding and cutting mechanism. The sheet from the half speed web are fully severed therefrom before they are accelerated and snapping of the web is thus prevented. The sheets are positively placed in correct registry with the full speed webs by accelerating and transfer mechanism. It will be observed that as the pins H0 and Ill accelerate each sheet to a full web speed, these pins pierce the full speed web W and so lock the sheet to the web. At the same time, the sheet is stuck to the web W and carried therewith over the drag roller 11 into contact with the web WI. The

described arrangement places the extra sheet in alternate sections of the product, and thus permite formation of a product having one more sheet in one section than in the other. when the sections are collected in the cutting and folding apparatus, the result is a completed paper, the size oi which may be increased by one sheet or two pages over that of a product in which the web W-2 from a supplemental couple is not employed.

In the disclosed embodiment. the supplemental couple can, ii desired, be run at full speed and the web therefrom fed directly into contact with the full speed webs W and W-i irom the main printing unit. Such a connection has been indicated in Fig. 4 wherein the web W-I' has been shown in dotted lines passing directly from the roller Ii and around a roller I" into contact with the web W. Where this arrangement is used, the drive for the chains and HM is disconnected and the tapes I II and III are removed or moved back away from the surface of the drag roller l1.

Although described in connection with a specific embodiment, it will be understood that the invention is generally applicable to all situations where it is desirable or necessary to accelerate flexible sheets and consolidate them with rapidly moving webs.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating a sheet comprising a flexible element, means for propelling said flexible element at a constant linear velocity along a path including a curved portion of progressively decreasing radius of curvature, and sheet carrying means extendin outwardly from said flexible element radially of said curved portion 01' said path whereby sheets carried by said sheet carrying means are accelerated as the flexible element moves along said curved portion of its path.

2. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating a sheet comprising a continuous flexible conveyor element traveling over two spaced rotatable members, means for guiding the span of said element moving from the flrst bf said rotatable members to the second along a curved path of progressively decreming radius of curvature terminating in the curvature of a second rotatable element, sheet propelling arms extending radially outward from spaced points on said flexible element, and means for guiding the sheet propelled by said arms along a path parallel to that of said element.

3. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating a sheet comprising a continuous flexible conveyor element traveling over two spaced rotatable members oi difierent radius, means for guiding the span of said element moving from the larger rotatable member to the smaller along an initially straight path and then along a curved path of progressively decreasing radius oi curvature terminating in the curvature of said smaller rotatable element, sheet propelling arms extending radially outward from spaced points on said flexible element a distance substantially equal to the radius of said smaller rotatable element, and means for guiding a sheet propelled by said arms along a path parallel to that of said element.

4. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating a sheet comprising a continuous flexible conveyor element traveling over two spaced rotatable members, means for guiding the span of said element moving from the first rotatable element to the second along an initially straight path and then along a path 01' progressively decreasing radius of curvature terminating in the curvature oi said second rotatable element. sheet propelling arms extending radially outward from spaced points on said flexible element, means for delivering sheets to said arms at said straight portion oi the path of said conveyor element, means for guiding sheets propelled by said arms along a path parallel to that 01' said conveyor element, and means for removing sheets from said arms when said conveyor element reaches the point of minimum radius oi curvature oi said curved path.

5. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating sheets comprising, a flexible conveyor element traveling along a path having an initial straight portion followed by a curved portion of progressively decreasing radius of curvature ending in a circular portion, sheet engaging pins on said conveyor element extending radially outward therefrom, said pins engaging the leading ends of sheets ted thereto and accelerating said sheets as the radius of curvature of said conveyor path decreases, and means adjacent the circular portion of said conveyor path for stripping said sheets from said pins.

6. Apparatus for conveying and accelerating sheets comprising, an endless flexible conveyor I element traveling along a path having an initial straight portion iollowed by a curved portion oi progressively decreasing radius oi curvature ending in a circular portion, sheet engaging pins on said conveyor element extending radially outward therefrom for a distance substantially equal to the radius of said circular portion of said conveyor path, said pins engaging the leading ends of'sheets ied thereto and accelerating said sheets as the radius of curvature of said conveyor path decreases, and means adjacent the 40 circular portion of said conveyor path for stripping said sheets from said pins.

'1. In apparatus of the type, described, in combination, means for propelling a web at full speed, means for propelling a second web at a lower speed, and means !or cutting sheets from the lower speed web and feeding them into contact with the full speed web comprising web severing means for completely severing successive sheets from the web propelled by said lower speed means, a continuous flexible conveyor element traveling at uniform velocity over two spaced rotatable members, means for guiding the span of said conveyor element moving from the first of said rotatable members to the second along an initial straight path and then along a curved path of progressively decreasing radius of curvature terminating in the curvature of the second rotatable element, sheet propelling arms extending outward i'rom spaced points on said flexible element radially oi the curved portion of its path for engaging the sheets severed by said web severing means and accelerating said sheets as said conveyor element moves along said curved portion oi its path, and means for transierring the accelerated sheets from said sheet propelling arms into contact with a web propelled by said full speed means when the sheet reaches said second rotatable element.

8. In apparatus of the type described, in combination, means for propelling a web atiull speed, means for propelling a second web at a lower speed, and means for cutting sheets from the lower speed web into contact with the full speed web comprising a cutting couple for completely assaeso cutting successive sheets from the web propelled by said lower speed means, a flexible conveyor element moving adjacent said cutting couple and traveling along a path having an initial straight portion followed by a curved portion of progressively decreasing radius ending in a circular portion, sheet engaging pins on saidconveyor element extending outwardly therefrom radially of the curved portion or said path, said pins engaging the leading ends 01' sheets cut by said cutting couple and accelerating said sheets as said conveyor element moves over said curved portion of its path, and means adjacent the circular portion of the path of said conveyor element for stripping said sheets from said pins and bringing said sheets into contact with the web propelled by said full speed means.

9. In apparatus of the character described, in combination with at least one main web and a supplemental web, means for propelling the main web at full speed and means for propelling the supplemental web at a lower speed, means for cutting sheets from the supplemental web and feeding them into contact with the main web comprising a cutting couple including a pair of cylindrical members, at least one endless flexible conveyor element traveling at uniform velocity over a rotatable element concentric with and adJacent one of the cylindrical members of said cutting couple and over a. second rotatable element spaced from said cutting couple, means for guiding the span of said conveyor element traveling away from said cutting couple along a curved path of progressively decreasing radius of curvature terminating in said second rotatable element, sheet engaging means on said conveyor element extending radially outwardly therefrom for engaging a sheet of said supplemental web cut by said cutting couple adjacent its leading edge and accelerating such sheet as said conveyor element passes along said curved path, means for moving said main web adjacent said second rotatable element, and means for transferring a sheet of said supplemental web from said sheet engaging means into contact with said main web when the portion of said conveyor element carrying said sheet engaging means has reached said second rotatable element.

10. In apparatus of the character described, in combination with at least one main web and a supplemental web, means for propelling the main web at full speed and means for propelling the supplemental web at a lower speed, means for cutting sheets from the supplemental web and feeding into contact with the main web comprising a cutting couple including a pair of cylindrical members, at least one endless flexible conveyor element traveling at uniform velocity over a rotatable element concentric with and adjacent one 01' the cylindrical members of said cutting couple and over a second rotatable element spaced from said cutting couple, means for guiding the span of said conveyor element traveling away from said cutting couple along a. straight path and then along a curved path of progressively decreasing radius of curvature terminating in said second rotatable element, sheet engaging means on said conveyor element extending radially outward therefrom for engaging a sheet of said supplemental web cut by said cutting couple adjacent its leading edge and accelerating such sheet as said conveyor element passes along said curved path, means for guiding sheets propelled by said sheet engaging means along a, path adiacent and parallel to the path or said conveyor element, means for moving said main web adjacent said second rotatable element, means for applying adhesive to spaced sections of said main web, and means for transferring a sheet from said sheet engaging means into contact with the adhesive bearing portion of said main web when the portion of said conveyor element carrying said sheet engaging means has reached said second rotatable element.

111. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of spaced parallel continuous conveyor elements traveling along a path including an initial straight portion and a final curved portion of progressively decreasing radius of curvature, spaced sheet engaging arms on and extending outwardly from said conveyor elements radially of said curved portion of said path for eng g g web sheets fed thereto and propelling said sheets at increasing speed as said conveyor elements move along the curved portion of said path, whereby said sheets are accelerated as the radius of curvature of said path decreases, guides extending parallel to said conveyor elements and engaging both surfaces of the sheets propelled by said sheet engaging arms along the curved portion of the path of said conveyor elements, and means for removing accelerated sheets from such arms.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a pair of spaced parallel continuous conveyor elements traveling along a path including an initial straight portion and a final curved portion of progressively decreasing radius of curvature, spaced sheet engaging arms on and extending outwardly from said conveyor elements radially of said curved portion of said path for engaging sheets fed thereto and propelling said sheets at increasing speed as said conveyor elements move along the curved portion of said path, whereby said sheets are accelerated as the radius of curvature of said path decreases, a lower guide extending parallel to and transversely between said conveyor elements for supporting sheets propelled by said sheet engaging arms, at least one upper guide between said conveyor elements for holding the sheets propelled by said sheet engaging arms in contact with said lower guide along the curved portion of the path of said conveyor elements, and means for removing sheets so accelerated from said sheet engaging arms when said arms reach the part of said conveyor path having the minimum radius of curvature.

13. In apparatus of the character described, in combination with at least one main web and a supplemental web, means for propelling the main web at full speed and means for propelling the supplemental web at half speed, means for cutting sheets from the supplemental web and feeding them into contact with the main web comprising a cutting couple including a pair of parallel cylindrical members, rotatable elements concentric with and adjacent the opposite ends or one of said cylindrical members, a stripping cylinder parallel to and spaced from the cylindrical members of said cutting couple, rotatable elements concentric with and adjacent the opposite ends of said stripping cylinder, a pair of spaced parallel concentric flexible conveyor elements running at uniform velocity over said rotatable elements, means for guiding one span of said conveyor elements over a path including a curve of progressively decreasing radius of curvature terminating in the curvature of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, spaced sheet engaging pins on and extending outwardly from said conveyor elements for a distance substantially equal to the radius of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, said pins engaging sheets cut from said supplemental web by said cutting couple and propelling said sheets at a velocity that is accelerated as said conveyor elements travel along said curved path, guides extending between said conveyor elements and around said stripping cylinder for stripping sheets from said pins as said pins move adjacent said stripping cylinder, and means for conducting said main web adjacent said stripping cylinder and into contact with such sheets.

14. In apparatus the character described, in combination with at least one main web and a supplemental web, means for propelling the main web at full speed and means for propelling the supplemental web at half speed, means for delivering sheets from the supplemental web into contact with the main web comprising a cutting couple including a pair oi parallel cylindrical members, rotatable elements concentric with and adjacent the opposite ends of one of said cylindrical members, a stripping cylinder parallel to and spaced horizontally from the cylindrical members of said cutting couple, rotatable eleassasso ments concentric with and adiacent the opposite ends oi said stripping cylinder and having a smaller radius than said stripping cylinder, a pair oi spaced parallel continuous flexible conveyor elements running at uniform velocity over said rotatable elements, means for guiding the lower span of said conveyor elements along a path including an initial straight portion starting at said cutting couple and a dual curved portion of progressively decreasing radius oi. curvature terminating in the curvature of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, spaced sheet engaging pins on said conveyor elements extending outwardly from said elements radially of said curved path for a distance substantially equal to the radius of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, said pins engaging sheets cut from said supplemental web by said cutting couple and propelling said sheets to said stripping cylinder while accelerating said sheets to full speed, means for conveying said main web adjacent said stripp ns cylinder, and means extending along the cylindrical surface of said stripping cylinder and outwardly therefrom to a point adjacent said main web for transferring accelerated sheets from said pins to said main web.

ISIDOR. 'I'ORNBERG.

GERTIF'ICA'E OF CORRECTION- Patent N01 2,585,659

rsmoa 'IORNBEBB.

September 25, 1911.5;

It' is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification 7 of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 23; for the word "several" read --severed--; line 1+8,

page 14., second column, line 714., claim 8, after "web" page 5, first column, linev 14, same claimyatter "sped" read --speed--; insert --and feeding them;

"traveling" insert --at uniform velocity; line 55, claim 10, after page 6, first column, line 20, claim 111., for "deliving insert than;

for

ering" read --cutting--- same line, after "web" insert --and feeding them--;

and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the some may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signedand sealed this 29th day ot January, it. D. 1911.6.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer First Assistant Gamissioner of Patents.

ing pins on and extending outwardly from said conveyor elements for a distance substantially equal to the radius of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, said pins engaging sheets cut from said supplemental web by said cutting couple and propelling said sheets at a velocity that is accelerated as said conveyor elements travel along said curved path, guides extending between said conveyor elements and around said stripping cylinder for stripping sheets from said pins as said pins move adjacent said stripping cylinder, and means for conducting said main web adjacent said stripping cylinder and into contact with such sheets.

14. In apparatus the character described, in combination with at least one main web and a supplemental web, means for propelling the main web at full speed and means for propelling the supplemental web at half speed, means for delivering sheets from the supplemental web into contact with the main web comprising a cutting couple including a pair oi parallel cylindrical members, rotatable elements concentric with and adjacent the opposite ends of one of said cylindrical members, a stripping cylinder parallel to and spaced horizontally from the cylindrical members of said cutting couple, rotatable eleassasso ments concentric with and adiacent the opposite ends oi said stripping cylinder and having a smaller radius than said stripping cylinder, a pair oi spaced parallel continuous flexible conveyor elements running at uniform velocity over said rotatable elements, means for guiding the lower span of said conveyor elements along a path including an initial straight portion starting at said cutting couple and a dual curved portion of progressively decreasing radius oi. curvature terminating in the curvature of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, spaced sheet engaging pins on said conveyor elements extending outwardly from said elements radially of said curved path for a distance substantially equal to the radius of said stripping cylinder rotatable elements, said pins engaging sheets cut from said supplemental web by said cutting couple and propelling said sheets to said stripping cylinder while accelerating said sheets to full speed, means for conveying said main web adjacent said stripp ns cylinder, and means extending along the cylindrical surface of said stripping cylinder and outwardly therefrom to a point adjacent said main web for transferring accelerated sheets from said pins to said main web.

ISIDOR. 'I'ORNBERG.

GERTIF'ICA'E OF CORRECTION- Patent N01 2,585,659

rsmoa 'IORNBEBB.

September 25, 1911.5;

It' is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification 7 of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, second column, line 23; for the word "several" read --severed--; line 1+8,

page 14., second column, line 714., claim 8, after "web" page 5, first column, linev 14, same claimyatter "sped" read --speed--; insert --and feeding them;

"traveling" insert --at uniform velocity; line 55, claim 10, after page 6, first column, line 20, claim 111., for "deliving insert than;

for

ering" read --cutting--- same line, after "web" insert --and feeding them--;

and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the some may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signedand sealed this 29th day ot January, it. D. 1911.6.

(Seal) Leslie Frazer First Assistant Gamissioner of Patents. 

